Gallery 4E: Maekawa Senpan
Maekawa Senpan (1888-1960) began his career as a cartoonist and illustrator for a satirical magazine and newspapers in Tokyo. He exhibited his first sosaku hanga print in 1919. Maekawa was mostly a self-taught print artist. His favorite themes included spas and hot springs as well as the people and customs of the Japanese countryside.
Senpan Maekawa (1888-1960). Seven miniature prints affixed into the miniature book Ezo Mame-hon (Miniature Picture Booklet of Ezo). From the series Maekawa Senpan Hanga Shu (Collection of Prints by Maekawa Senpan). Vol. 9. Bessatsu (Supplement Issue). Published by Hokkaido Mame-han no Kai (Mame-han Association of Hokaido). January 1955. The book is 6.5 x 6.4 cm. The even smaller prints are approximately 3.3 x 3.6 cm each and represent some of the smallest prints in the collection.
Girl with Basket of Apples. Published by Yokohama. Designed as a Christmas Card Insert. Ca. 1950s. 9.7 x 14.1 cm
The following ten woodblock prints were included in the publication New Outdoor Pieces, which was self-engraved and self-printed by the artist. The prints appear to have been executed in 1942, although the publication, which included printed text on the opposite side of the thick paper leaves, was published in 1945 and limited to 250 copies.